The recent visit of China’s Foreign Minister to New Delhi marks more than a routine diplomatic exchange. It hints at a subtle but consequential reordering of South Asian geopolitics. China’s engagement with India goes beyond tariffs; it signals a bid to reshape South Asia’s rivalries and regional alignments. After brokering peace in the Middle East, China eyes South Asia—where India and Pakistan remain locked in old disputes.

As Beijing reaches out to New Delhi, the regional chessboard shifts, raising questions about America’s role and Pakistan’s strategic space. Beijing’s balancing act with India has deep implications for Pakistan’s security, economy, and foreign policy flexibility. The US still provides hard power, but China is emerging as the region’s indispensable broker. Where does this leave Pakistan?

India and China, despite border disputes and decades of rivalry, appear willing to reopen channels at a time when both face economic and strategic pressures. For India, the outreach is about hedging. Washington has positioned New Delhi as a central pillar of its Indo-Pacific strategy against China. Yet India has never been fully comfortable as a junior partner. Its refusal to sanction Russia, its oil purchases from Moscow, and now its gestures toward Beijing reflect a familiar instinct: preserve strategic autonomy.

US is not likely to abandon India — the strategic logic is too strong — but it will view this........

© Business Recorder